Stringed musical instrument.



F. MENZENHAUER. STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10,1910.

7 970,845, Patented Sept.'20,1910.

0 1 1 And d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK MENZENHAUER, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

STRINGED MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK MENZEN- HAUER, and a resident of JerseyCity, county of Hudson, State of New Jersey, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Stringed Musical Instruments, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention has reference to improvements in stringed musicalinstruments. It pertains particularly to mandolin harps, guitar-zithersand the like instruments in which the accompaniment is played on stringsconveniently grouped to form chords while the melody is played on anopen scale of strings. Such instruments are so constructed that any onemay easily learn to play them in a short time without acquiring athorough knowledge of music.

Heretofore instruments of the type described were played by means ofpicks or plectrums to pick the strings for producing a tune. Thisrequired the instrument to be placed in a certain position for playingand in some instruments the entire key-board had to be pushed sidewiseto pick the strings.

It is the purpose of the present invention to produce a stringed musicalinstrument which may be played in any conceivable position found to beconvenient by the player for instance on a table like the old zither orit may be held horizontally, inclined or even nearly vertically and thekey-board need not be shifted. These main objects have been primarilyattained by the use of a key-board and action secured to the soundingboard above the melody strings and provided with adjustable keys andflexible hammers below which return automatically into their normalposition after having struck the strings.

The improved instrument occupies but little space and a chromatic scaleif provided thereon does not require any more room than a common scale.By simplicity in construction liability to derangement has been greatlyreduced and care has been taken to produce a neat and desirable article,all as will be fully described hereinafter with reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

Figure 1 represents in top plan view a mandolin harp embodying indesirable form the present improvements. Fig. 2 is a transverse verticalsection on an enlarged scale on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 illustrates intop plan view on an enlarged scale part of the Specification of LettersPatent.

Application filed January 10, 1910.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910.

Serial No. 537,109.

flexible hammer arrangement. Fig. 4. is a partial vertical section on anenlarged scale on line 4% of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of amodified form of adjustable key with flexible hammer and Fig. 6 is apartial elevation of a detail. 1

Similar characters of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

The novel key-board and action are attached to the sounding board abovethe melody strings. The action can not be 0perated directly without akey-board whose keys are essential for producing pure and melodioustones.

In the drawing a represents the sounding board of the mandolin harp orzither illustrated. The strings I) are conveniently grouped into chordsfor manipulation with the left hand and the open scale of melody strings0 is arranged at the other side on the sounding board. The attachment issecured to the sounding board above the melody strings as shown inFig. 1. The attachment consists of a set of keys and a set of hammersbelow the keys as shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and l. The keys (Z aremounted in the top boards 0 of the attachment and arranged in the ordershown in Fig. 1. Each key consists of a circular body portion (Z whosetop is slightly hollowed out forming thus a finger tip. The body portion(l of each key is in a vertical circular incision of the board 6 whichextends down beyond the middle of the board. A screw 7 is provided inthe lower central portion of each key which forms the adjustable part ofsame. This screw passes through a vertical narrow channel in the board 6which communicates with the incision above referred to. The screw havingits head at the bottom may easily be adjusted in relation to theflexible hammer below which is operated thereby.

The flexible hammers g are arranged on a narrow strip of wood h which issecured on two supports 71 that are permanently attached to the soundingboard a. Each flexible hammer consists of a small oblong bar preferablymade of wood. On the bottom end surface of each bar there is adownwardly extending projection g which forms the hammer proper adaptedto strike the string when the key is pressed down. Opposite the part andscrewed with one end to the top surface of the oblong bar g there is anarrow strip 9 of metal preferably of steel sheeting, the top surface ofwhich is covered with felt. These flexible hammers are arranged in tworows on the narrow board It to correspond with the two sets of keysabove mentioned. The hammers form an outer and an inner set or row byarranging them successively and alternately in the order shown in Fig.3. To render this possible the narrow board 71. is cut out on the innerside like a comb and each tooth like projection 72 formed thereby hassecured to its top surface the second end of the elastic metal strip 9*of a hammer of the outer set. The second end of the elastic steel strip9 of each hammer forming part of the inner set is secured farther in onthe body portion of the narrow board it. It is self-evident that themiddle portion of the metal strip 9 is free whereby the hammer becomeselastic or flexible.

Each flexible hammer is located above one melody string and above eachhammer there is an adjustable key. lVhen a key is touched the flexiblehammer descends and strikes the melody string j below whereby a pure andmelodious tone is produced without difficulty, more agreeable andclearer than can be produced by the picks heretofore employed. Whenreleasing the key the flexible hammer is automatically returned to itsnormal position by means of the elastic metal strip forming partthereof.

In Fig. 5 of the drawing a modified form of adjustable key isillustrated with a flexible hammer below. The flexible hammer g isconstructed as above described but the key consists of a small elongatedblock is made preferably of wood and hinged to the board Z. Theadjustable screw 7 is located right above the inner end of the flexiblehammer g and rests normally on the felt of its elastic metal strip orspring. Above the outer end of each hammer there is a thin wooden stripat covered with felt a, a at the top and bottom. hen the block or key ispressed down the hammer descends and strikes the string j. hen the touchis released the hammer returns into its normal position and forces thekey also upward by means of its adjustable screw 7.

The attachment above described is applied to instruments of the usualsize. For larger stringed instruments of this type it is advisable toinsert a damper to stop the vibration and prevent resounding. Suchdamper may be applied on all instruments having long strings. It isillustrated by way of example in Figs. 5 and 6. The damper consists of awooden bar 0 which is about even with the keys. Supports 0 connect witha small bar 39 parallel to the bar 0 and covered on its bottom surfacewith a layer of felt g. Springs .9 are provided to retain the damper inits normal position above the strings. The damper is convenientlymounted near the end of the strings and the attachment.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a stringed musical instrument com prising a sounding board withstrings thereon, an attachment on the sounding board above the stringscomprising adjustable keys, and flexible hammers below said keys andabove the strings.

2. In a stringed musical instrument comprising a sounding board with anopen scale of strings thereon, a key-board above said strings withadjustable keys, and flexible hammers below said keys and above thestrings, each flexible hammer being provided wit-h an elastic metalstrip whereby same is returned into the normal position after striking astring.

3. In a stringed musical instrument, melody strings, a key-board abovesaid melody strings attached to the sounding board having adjustablekeys, and flexible hammers below said keys and above the melody strings,each flexible hammer being provided with an elastic metal strip, and alayer of soft material on said strip against which the key strikes.

AI. In a stringed musical instrument of the type described, melodystrings, a-keyboard on the sounding board above the melody stringshaving keys consisting each of a body with an adjustable screw in itslower portion, and flexible hammers below said keys and above the melodystrings provided each with an elastic strip of sheet steel, and a layerof felt on the top surface, so arranged that the head of the adjustablescrew of the key rests on the felt of the flexible hammer.

5. In a stringed musical instrument of the type described, melodystrings, a set of flexible hammers above the melody strings suitablymounted and arranged in rows consisting each of a small bar withdownward extension on one end adapted to strike the string, an elasticmetal strip secured with one end to the top surface of the bar oppositeits extension leaving its middle portion free, and a layer of felt'onthe top surface of said elastic strip.

6. In a stringed musical instrument of the type described, melodystrings, a set of flexible hammers above the melody strings suitablymounted and arranged in rows c011- sisting each of a thin bar withdownward extension on one end adapted to strike a string, an elasticmetal strip secured with one end to the top surface of the bar oppositeits extension leaving its middle portion free, and a layer of felt onthe top surface of said elastic strip in combination with acorresponding set of keys located above the hammers and having each anadjustable screw in its lower portion so arranged that the downward headof the screw strikes the melody strings, and a damper near the againstthe felt of the hammer above the end of said strings and the attachment.

inner end of the bar. Signed at New York, N. Y., this 8th day 7 In astringed musical instrument of of January, 1910. 5 the type describedmelody strings, an at- FREDERICK MENZENHAUER.

tachnient on the sounding board above the l \Vitnesses: melody stringscomprising adjustable keys, GORINNE MYERS,

flexible hammers below said keys and above JAMES H. Gooom.

